Connecting rod



R. WINTZER Feb. 16, 1932.

CONNECTING ROD Fild Sept. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l dito?, muy;

4Feb. 16, 1932'. R. wlNTzER CONNECTING ROD Filed sept. 21, 1928 ,IMWJM Low @www w Slim www

Patented Feb. 1e, 1932 UNITED STATESv .PATENT oFF-ICE RUDOLF WINTZEIQOF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, Assiernon. To NonnBERGMANUFAc- TUBING COMPANY, OF MLWAUKEE,VWISCONSIN, A CORORAIION OF `WISCONSIN coNNEo'rING. .non

Application yfiled.k September 21, 1928, `Serial No. 307,536.

This invention relates to connecting rods or pitmen, and particularly to a composite structure which will be found usefulin many cases wherefrods of unusual llength are re- 5 quired. Y

The invention' willbe described as emr:

bodied iny a connecting rod for use on stern Wheel tow-boats. vWith such boatstherota- -tive speed o f the wheel `is so low that fit 'is necessary ,to use a long stroke engine, and con- Y sequently, a long connecting rod.-

Heretoforethe constructionof rods. used 'inl stern" wheel tow-boats has -been extremely ..crude, it'` being common Ypractice to use aA Wooden rod which-was metal bound' and which gave lconsiderable trouble vbecause of distortions which occurred as ani'nci'dent'to moisture. Y Efforts Vhaveloeen .made to substitute steel castings but serious practical difficulties have been encountered in the production of 'satisfactory castings ,for thi'spurpose.

The present Yinvention *provides a rod'made up of twoendppieces (usuallycastings) each '25' respectively carryingpthewristpin and cra-nk pin `bearings`an interposed tubular thrust, member, andl a plurality of tension vrods or` stays which preferably are braced to eachA other and'to the tubular compression member. a

-m preserve 4the e strength Aof the parts, ,this connectionis made by wedging clamps to avoid theY forn'iation-V of any holes or other cutsfin the tubular com-pressionmember. In orderV a. to stiifen thestructure at ,the crank end in a plane perpendicular to the crank pin, `and also to secure clearance, the tubular thrustr member is preferably slightly lflattened so that it has an approximately oval format its gement withthe end piece at the area of eng crank end-of the rod.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is `illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,--y y Y ,Fig.1fisfa lplan view showing the rod together withportions of thev 'cross-v headV and Fig. 21s a `sideelevation Qfthe rod; with; Part-S brokenaway at the ends to show their construction.

Y Fig.'8 is an enlarged axial section showing ythe mode of connecting the re1nforc1ng'sleeve,.-

to thetubular thrust memberfby meansof wedging'clamps.

Fig. 4 isa section on an'enlarged scale on'v A l Y j" '.6511 Fig. 5 yis a' section on afsimilarly enlarged f Figs..6, 7 and 8 aref'sections on still furtherV enlarged scales, the planes of section being i l talren on the4 lines .6e-6, 77 and 8 8, respectively of Fig. 2.

fFig.;9 is ajfaceview of one'ofthe clamps'i whichcarries the valve motion guide. n Figs. 10'and 11 are fragmentary side elevations kat ythe scales ofFigs. 6 and 7, show? veel ing .he spreader structuresv illustrated in said figures respectively.

ReferringA first` to Fig.

crank pin. 19 represents ya portion of the cross lihead. The connecting rod which connects the cross head 19 with the crank pin 18 includes an end-piece2l having a bearing22,KV

of vany suitable form, forv'the wrist pin, not shown. 23 represents an end ,piece'having an adjustable bearing 24, of any suitable form, for `the crank'pinlS. The `end piece 21 isV formed with .an annular boss 25, which, as shown' in Fig. 4, isfofcircular contour. e The" end piece 23, asbest shown in Fig.,5, is formed with an annular boss 26 which' may be describedas of oval section.v Surrounding .this and spaced `therefrom is a flange 27.

)The thrust element of the rod comprises a tube 28 which, at the Vwrist pin end andI throughout the major portion ofits length,

yis of'circular contour. This fits snugly over' the boss which-centers and alines the endl vpiece-21.v Theoppositeend ofthe rod-is den 1, 16 is the crank` shaft, 17 the crank and 18` ajportion of the formed or flattened for a substantial distance, having an approximately oval section which fits in the interval between the boss 26 and the flange 27.

In most cases it 1s desirable to reinforceV clamps made up of arcuate wedge members- 3l which enter between thev members 28 and 29, and a sleeve nut 32 which is'threadedY on the end of the member 29 and engages the wedges 3l to forcethese into the intervals between the members 28 and 29. In this wa;7 all cutting of the member 28 is avoided. Y

The end members 21 and 23 are connected by tensionl tie-rods 33 and 34, which are drawn up 4*by `means `of-nuts 35 and 36. The

upper tie-rod 33 isstraight, but the lower tie-rod, in order to assist in sustaining the weight of the thrust member 28 and sleeve 29, is deliected by suitable spreaders so as to form a sort of trussw These spreaders are three in number in the example illustrated. 'Ivo ,ofthem are beyond the ends of the reinforcing member 29 and comprise annular yokes 37 clamped around the member28 by means'of the bolts .38. lEachyoke 37 jcarries an upward projection 39 and a longer.A lower ,projection 41, each formedwith a seat to receive, respectively, the tie-rods 33 and 34. The tie rods are Vclamped in such seats by caps 42 held by studs and nuts 43. The construction of the yokek 37 is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 10.

AAt or about the middle of the reinforcing member 29 is a third yoke 44 which is clamped tothe member 29 by means of bolts 45. It has Y an upward projection 46 with a seat for the rod 33 and a lower projection 47 of-considerably greater length and having a seat for the rod 34. The yoke 44 is provided with a pad 48 to which is bolted a guide member 49 esigned to coact with a portion of the distributing valve gear. Y

The member 49 is clamped to the pad 48 by the bolts 51. It is also connected at its end by means of bolts 52 to pads 53 which seat on the tubular lmember 28 andvwhich are clamped thereto by stirrup irons 54 vand nuts 55. Y Y

The parts 49 to l55 inclusive arev not a necessary part of the rod structure, but are shown merely to illustrate a convenient man? ner for supporting on the rod related elements such as the guide, member 49. l

The parts are soarrangedthat the tubular member 28 acts alone to transmit thrust` and the tie-rods 33 and 34 act alone to transmit tension between the end pieces 2l and 23.

The tie-rods and the compression member, together with the spreader braces, form a truss structure which resists deflection of the rod.

In long and relatively light rods, such as are required for the service mentioned, there is a tendency for the rod to whip or deflect because of its oscillatory movement in a plane normal to the crank shaft, and also because of the weight of the rod itself. It is within the scope of the present invention to vary the proportions of the spreaders to resist this whip,l and secure the necessary degree of rigidity' of the rod.

The construction produces a connecting rod far superior to the wooden rods heretofore used, simple to manufacture and generally satisfactory for the service. It meets the .peculiar conditions encountered in long portions of the parts will necessarily bevayried to meet therequirement of particular installations. For example, in somecases the sleeve 29might be entirely omitted, and in some cases it might be unnecessaryto im-v part to the end of the rod the oval section shown at the crank end. Furthermore, as indicated in the description, the degree ofv deflectionl of the tie-rods is dependent on the stresses to be encountered, as will be well understood. K Y, Y

What is claimed is,-.

il. A pitman comprising in combination, endmembers each having Va bearing and a seat for a tubular thrust memberya tubular thrust member centered lby said seats and acting in thrust between said end members; tie rods acting in tension between said end members and holding said parts in assembled relation; and a tubular reinforce shorter than said thrust member and mounted concentrically relatively thereto near the mid-length thereof.

2. A pitman comprising in combination, end members, one having a wrist pin bearing and a seat to receive a tubular thrust member, and the other having a crank pin bearing and l a seat tofreceive a tubular thrust member of ovalcross section; a tubular thrust member having ends formed to fit said seats closely and maintain the alinement of the end members; tension members reacting between said end members and braced to said thrust member; and a tubular reinforce shorter than said thrust member and mounted concentrically relatively Vthereto nearthe mid-length thereof.

3. pitman comprising in combination, end members each having albearing anda seat fora tubular thrust member; `a tubular thrust member centered by said seatsn and acting in thrust between said end members; tie rods acting 1n tension between` said end members and holding said parts in assemy bled relation; a tubular reinforce shorter and larger in diameter than the thrust member, surrounding the same near the middle thereof; and annular wedge clamps connecting the Ends o-f the reinforce with the thrust mem- 4. A. pitman comprisingin combination, end members each having a bearing and a seat for a tubular thrust member; a tubular thrust member centered by said seats and acting in thrust between said end members; a tubular reinforce, shorter than the thrust member surrounding the same near the midlengtli thereof; spreader braces carried respectively by the tubular member and reinforce; and tension members connecting said end members and engaging said braces.

In testimony whereof I haver signed my y name to this specification. f Y

' RUDOLF WINTZER. 

